Making Time

How do you make time to work on your side business? I think about this often because I am in the process of growing my art business between full-time work, church, and relationships. Although not exhaustive, a few  things I do to ensure steady progress is to treat it as a professional business, put on a timer, and make use of the time in between tasks. 

One simple way to help make time for your business is to treat it professionally. Think, if this were my only source of income, and if its operations are going to reflect on me, how would I run it? There are many small, easy things to do for your business that will show your customers that you are serious about it and are reliable. For instance, my website and social media are the storefront to my customers. As I create new art and books, they should reflect these changes and be updated regularly. Emails are fast and easy to check in case a customer is trying to reach you. If your website has information that needs to be updated or product descriptions that need rewriting, you can take regular time to address small issues until it is completely refreshed. Consistency in paying your bills and licenses promote goodwill and trust with your landlords and city governments. Over time, these small, simple habits will create a business that's ready to grow when it takes off. 

Another easy way to make time for your business is to literally set a timer. Not only does it clearly show how much time you put into your business for the day, it also motivates you to be more productive with that time. Once you begin to see how long it takes you to do tasks related to your business, you can better plan how to charge a customer for your work or how to plan your work schedule for the day. Setting a timer also changes how you work. Even if the task is hard or boring, the timer focuses you to finish and not have to continue it later. In addition, giving yourself a set time to do something will force you to be more creative and concise. You will find that you produce more work and more quality work when you time it. 

Finally, one of the ways I've gotten through art projects, is by making use of the time in between tasks or errands. There is often unused time while you wait for an appointment or when you arrive early to an event. Sometimes, I use that time to recharge by praying or being still or thinking, but there are enough opportunities to also work quickly on a couple lines of a book or to draw a quick sketch. Instead of complaining that I don't have time for my business, I'm looking for opportunities to make time. An added benefit of making time this way is that I actually look forward to long lines and wait times instead of dreading them. Once you know the business-related tasks you can easily take with you, keep your tools, phone, book, etc with you when you go out so you're not caught in a waiting room with nothing to do. 

If you have a small business on the side, let me know in the comments if you have any other suggestions for making time or if you do any of these things and they are helpful for you.